A Hero's Return
by Ech0s
Summary: This is loosely (read very loosely) based on the Minecraft animations Fallen Kingdom and Take Back the Night.
1. Chapter 1 The Begining

**A/N - My first fan fiction! Please review and tell me what you think.**

Chapter 1: The Beginning

Outside of the walls of Emeral ~

"I can't believe that we got guard duty, again," one of the men guarding the northern gates said. "I know, right?" said his companion with a sigh, "All we ever do is greet the people who are entering the city."

"I wonder why they even bother calling it guard duty, we haven't had any problems with mobs since King Meneas took the throne." The guards continued to talk, not paying any attention to their surroundings. They didn't notice the pair of glowing purple eyes just inside the shadows of the surrounding forest.

"Pathetic," thought Farain as he observed the guards neglecting their duties. They hadn't once looked around to see if there were any possible threats. "You fools are lucky that I am only here for reconnaissance. If I had been part of the vanguard forces you would be dead," Farain muttered under his breath. "Hey Marc, did you hear something?" one of the guards asked, looking around for the first time. "It was just your imagination Kyle," said Marc, " No mobs have dared to show their faces near here since the example the king made out of that creeper."

"Do you really think so?" Kyle asked, still looking around rather nervously. "Of course I think so," replied a slightly exasperated Marc, "You saw the execution, if I were a mob I would be too terrified to come within five miles of Emeral's walls!"

"You're right, Marc!" Kyle laughed, "We could take a break and no one would be the wiser." Farain saw a creeper start to leave the forest after having overheard the callous remarks of the two guards. Farain swore and quickly teleported to the creeper, and then with a firm grip on the squirming mob, he teleported back to a clearing a safe distance away from the guards. "Why did you stop me?" the creeper asked with an angry hiss, "They were laughing about the torture and murder of my chieftain's son, they deserve to die!" The creeper made an attempt to get past the enderman. Farain sighed and tackled the creeper. "They will die," said a low voice from the forest, "Just not right now". Farain and the creeper looked up from where they were sprawled on the ground and into the into the glowing white eyes of their leader. "You and your clan are not the only ones to have lost someone or something to King Meneas's ruthlessness," said Herobrine as he stepped into the clearing.


	2. Chapter 2 Kylar

**A/N - Yay I got a review! XD ! Thank you Taigona**

Chapter 2: Kylar

Inside of Emeral Castle ~

Kylar watched as the men approached the darkest corner of the dimly lit hall. "Did you see which way he went?" asked one of the men to the others as they ran passed the place where Kylar stood in the shadows. "He can't have gone too far, we just saw him turn down this hall" called another man from the group. Kylar waited until the men had rounded the corner and then he turned and slipped into one of the many secret passages of the castle. The secret passage was as dark as the deepest caverns but that didn't bother Kylar too much. He quickly found the stairs leading up to the hidden balconies. Taking the steps two at a time, Kylar soon reached the top. As quietly as he could, he raced down to the end of the balcony where he had tied a rope so that it hung in the gap between two separate balconies. Once he had reached the end of the first balcony, Kylar launched himself into the open space between the two railings. Grabbing the rope at the last possible moment, Kylar smiled as he swung across the sixty feet of empty air between him and the men pursuing him. This must be what it is like to be able to fly, Kylar thought with joy as he swung towards the opposite railing. The men below never once looked up. He let go of the rope, flying through the air for a few brief seconds then landing silently on the second balcony. He continued to make his way down the hall. When Kylar reached the end of the balcony he stopped and waited. He didn't have to wait for very long. The group of men came racing down the hall at a dead run. "Hurry! We can't let him reach the forbidden wing!" Kylar tilted his head in confusion. "What are they talking about?" Kylar thought, "My father has never said anything about a forbidden wing of the castle." Pondering this new information, Kylar watched as the men ran into the ran into the trap that he had set up. Within seconds all the men were entangled in the mass of spider webs that Kylar had strung across the hallway. Kylar smiled and waited. Spitting strands of the giant spider web out of his mouth, one of the men fought to get to his sword only to become more entangled in the web. "Kylar, I don't care if you are the prince!" the man shouted as his face started to turn red, " As the captain of the royal guard I command you to come here and let us out from this Notch-blasted trap!" Kylar entered yet another of the hidden entrances to the secret passages. A few minutes later he stepped out of the shadows in front of the trapped men. Kylar grinned at the looks of surprise that crossed some of the men's faces. "He's just a boy!" exclaimed one of the newer guards in disbelief. "For your information, I am seven years old," said a slightly annoyed Kylar. "Yes, we get that," said the captain, "Now hurry up and get us out of here."

"Now Isac, why would I go and do a silly thing like that?" asked Kylar. His grin turning into a smirk, "And after I went through all that trouble to get you there too."

"The king and queen will surely hear of this!" said one of the guards. He had apparently tripped before he fell into the webs and so he was now hanging upside down in the trap. "I have no doubt that my mother and father will hear about this," Kylar said, amused "But ask yourself this question; when will they find out?" The guard's face paled, an impressive feat considering his current position. "You're not going to leave us here, are you?" a different guard asked worriedly, glancing towards his captain whose face had turned even more red. "Of course I am," said Kylar, "I can't have you guys trying to follow me everywhere I go or running off to tell my parents, that would not be any fun at all."

"Enough of this, Kylar," said Isac, "Release us from your little trap and we will only tell your parents that you played a little prank." Kylar turned his full attention to the captain. "Did you not hear what I just told you?" Kylar asked, his pale blue eyes flashing with anger, "I do not want to be followed by you glorified nursemaids."

"I am sure someone will find you, eventually," Kylar said as he started to walk away. "Get back here now!" yelled Isac after the retreating form of his charge. All the answer he got was the sight of the young prince fading into the shadows.

Kylar was furious. He was a prince and yet everyone treated him like a small child. Kylar snorted, they would soon have to acknowledge that he wasn't going shatter into tiny pieces if he stubbed his toe. Isac's earlier comment came back to him. What did he mean by the forbidden wing? Kylar asked himself as he made his way down the secret hall towards his father's throne room. Kylar walked along the hidden balcony that overlooked the room where his father ran his kingdom. Looking over the railing Kylar noticed the unusual lack of people in the great hall. Odd he thought, there should at least be a guard or servant doing some form of work. Kylar continued down the balcony until he came to a door. Checking that none were watching, Kylar opened the door and slipped out onto the castle roof. A cool breeze lifting his blonde hair in the breeze Kylar turned around and gazed out over the city wall and into the forest beyond. What is it like to be completely surrounded by trees he thought as he climbed up the side of the roof. Once he reached the top, Kylar began to walk along the narrow ledge that was formed by the two edges of the castle roof. From this high up the city below looked very similar to the stars above. The stars were soon blotted out by the shape of the tallest tower of the castle. Kylar reached out and touched the cool stone bricks of the massive structure. "Today is the day that I will see all that I will rule someday," he said to himself and bent down to retrieve the rope that he had hidden up here a few weeks ago. With one last look at the forest he began to climb the tower. At first the hand and foot holds were few and far between but they soon grew more and more plentiful the farther up the tower Kylar climbed. He was nearly at the top of the tower when Kylar's foot slipped and he was left hanging hundreds of feet in the air by just his fingertips. Kylar scrabbled around frantically with his feet as his grip on the the tower stones began to loosen. "I will not die here!" Kylar screamed his fury and terror into the wind as his fingers lost their tenuous grip. "Noooooooooo!" Kylar cried out as he felt his body begin to fall. His voice was ripped away by the massive gust of wind that sent him flying skyward. Pain blossomed on Kylar's face as he was blown past the edge of tower roof. The last thing Kylar saw was the stars and the night darkened forest.

Pain…..hurts…..my face…..owwwww. Kylar groaned and rolled over onto his back, one hand reaching up to touch the line of pain that was burning the left side of his jaw. That just made it hurt worse. Kylar sat up and looked at his hand. It was red with his blood. I will be in such trouble if father or Isac finds out about this, he thought as he looked at his red stained fingers. "So you're not dead," said a soft voice from behind him but when Kylar jumped up and turned around he saw no one. "Who is there, show yourself," Kylar commanded as he scanned his surroundings. He noticed to his surprise that he was on the tower's roof. "I am here," the soft voice came again and this time Kylar was able to see the faint outline of a woman standing in the shadows of the top half of the tower's roof. "Who are you and why are you hiding in the shadows?" asked Kylar as he moved closer to the woman. "I…. my name is Irina and I am in the shadows because I didn't want to scare you," Irina said. "Well come out Irina, I promise not to be scared," Kylar said as Irina shifted nervously in the shadows. Irina remained silent for a long time and Kylar thought that she was not going to respond but eventually she did, "I don't think that this is a good idea," she said as she stepped out of the shadows. Kylar fell down in surprise as he got his first good look at Irina. Or rather, through Irina. "Y-you….what are you?….W-w-why, h-how can I see through you?" he stammered. "This is why I didn't want to show myself," Irina said with a sad little smile. Standing back up, Kylar said with a huff, "I am not running away am I, you just startled me is all!" Irina's smile widened, "Thank you child, you've no idea how nice it is to not have someone run at the sight of me."

"You are welcome Irina," Kylar said. He was a little confused as to why anyone would run away from Irina. Sure, I can see straight through her but surely that is not enough to send people running, he thought. "And to answer your question, I am the queen of this castle" Irina said. "You can not be the queen." said Kylar "My mother is the queen." "That's nice," Irina said, her eyes losing focus a little. "What is your name, child?" she asked, turning her blank eyes toward the boy. "My name is Kylar," he said a little unnerved by the strange lady who was claiming to be the queen. "Kylar…..Kylar," Irina said in a singsong voice, "I have a baby named Kylar, would you like to see him?" Kylar could only nod his head. Maybe this Kylar is transparent like his mother, Kylar thought as he followed Irina through the trapdoor and into the darkness below. "Where are we going," he asked Irina as she led him through the darkened hallway. "Why to the nursery of course," said Irina "where else would a baby be?" Kylar shivered, he knew full well that the castle did not have a nursery but he did not think that he should mention that to Irina when she had that strange look in her eyes. "Here we are," Irina announced as they came to a halt outside of a door. With no preamble she threw open the door and walked into the pitch black room. When Kylar entered the room he was hit by the smell of stale air and a faint hint of copper. "This simply will not do," Irina said with a huff and went over to open the window. The wave of night air that swept in was like a breath of fresh air. Kylar looked over to see Irina staring out at the forest. "What are you looking for?" he asked. She looked down at the boy, sighed, and returned to looking out at the forest, "The only man who ever saw me for who I was rather than a political game piece."

"You do not look like a game piece to me," Kylar said with a look of confusion on his face, "Why would anyone think that you were?" Irina smiled sadly and said, "As the third daughter of a desert kingdom my only value in the eyes of my family and my people was my ability to marry a prince or king of a wealthy country. You see, we had many people to support and very few resources. In short, our kingdom was dying," she said, "My father and the previous king of the Diamond Mountains negotiated the marriage between myself and Prince Meneas."

"You were married to my father!" Kylar looked up at Irina in surprise. "I still am…." Irina's words trailed off. Shaking her head slightly Irina asked in small voice, "Where did everyone go…. w-why won't the doors to the castle open anymore…..so lonely…..alone...alone?"

"You are not alone," Kylar smiled at Irina, "I am here am I not?"

Irina shut her eyes. "Yes, yes you are Kylar, sweet Kylar." While the two had been talking the sky outside had begun to lighten until the first hints of the rising sun were able to be seen over the tops of the trees. "I have to go," Kylar said and turned to head back to the roof. "DON'T LEAVE ME!" The voice made Kylar's ears ring. "I must," he said, "However, I promise that I will return when I am able."

"I'll hold you to that promise…" Kylar looked over his shoulder but Irina was no longer there.

 **Please leave a review and tell me what you guys think.**


	3. Chapter 3 Consequences

**A/N - Now introducing... even more characters! Just to warn you, this chapter gets a little dark towards the end. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Also, thank you to Guest and Notchboots for your reviews.**

Chapter 3 : Consequences

Meneas sighed as he read the reports on his desk. The mines had not been doing well lately and the miners were being forced to dig farther and deeper in order to find iron and other ores. The rest of the kingdom wasn't faring much better than the mines. Farmers were losing crops to void blight, the fish in the large lake by the city had all but disappeared. There were rumors that the southern desert state were being plagued by a drought and massive sandstorms. What's this world coming to? Meneas thought as he massaged the bridge of his nose. The only good thing that the king could see was that no monsters had been seen near any of the cities or major roadways. The last execution seemed to have done the job. I will have start to rationing the food supplies we have remaining. The approaching winter would be a hard one, there was no doubt in his mind. We will survive...no...we will overcome these trials that are facing us and come out even stronger, Meneas thought to himself as he rose from his chair and paced across the sleek dark oak floors to the open window. He stood there, hands clasped behind his back, staring down at the people of the city going about their normal lives unaware of the trouble that the kingdom was facing. Soon there won't be as many carefree smiles, Meneas thought sadly. A loud pounding at the heavy oak door interrupted the king's musings. "Come in," he commanded without looking away from the city below. The door swung open with little complaint. The same could not be said for the man who entered the office. "You need to do something about your son," growled a voice. Meneas turned around and his gaze landed on the disheveled form of the captain of the royal guard. "What has he done now Isac?" Meneas asked already dreading the answer, "I want a full report." Isac stood a little taller and launched into the full story of Kylar's antics. "Lady Jesame requested that Kylar join her for lessons in etiquette, she sent me to retrieve him. However, when I went to get Kylar and told him what Lady Jesame told me he bolted." Meneas closed his eyes, the beginnings of a headache starting to form at his temples. There was nothing Kylar hated more than lessons on manners with his mother. "Did you close the door before you told him what his mother wanted?" "Yes sir, I know that the boy doesn't like the lessons so I made sure to close the door, I even had one of my men stationed right outside to catch him if he managed to slip by me." The headache was getting worse. Meneas reached a hand up to rub one of his aching temples. "If you were prepared, how in Notch's name did he get away?" Isac rubbed the back of his neck and his cheeks turned red with embarrassment, "Uhhhh…..I tripped over the rug when I went to grab him when he looked like he was going to run. Once I got my feet under me, I looked around but the room was empty."

"And the man you left outside?" the king asked. "He said no one had exited the room while I was inside," Isac said with a hint of frustration, "I then gathered a group of my men and we spent the whole day searching the castle and the surrounding grounds. I sent some of the men down to the city even though Kylar is forbidden from entering the city without an escort." The captain paused and took a deep breath, "After we spent the majority of the day searching for him, we were heading back to tell Lady Jesame that we had been unable to relocate Kylar when Joseph saw him running down one of the halls that lead to the forbidden wing. We soon lost sight of him but there was nowhere else he could go, so we ran as fast as we could but we never caught up with him." The King watched as the man flushed a deeper shade of red. Whatever happened must have been really really bad if Isac was that embarrassed, Meneas thought and said, "Please continue." Isac fiddled with the hilt of the iron sword hanging at his belt and then he closed his eyes and said, "We were not really paying attention to anything other than finding Kylar that we didn't see the trap until it was too late."

"A trap!?" the king interrupted Isac, alarm in his voice, "Where the Nether did he get a trap that could take out several men?" Isac sighed, "Kylar used a mass of giant spider webs to block the hall, the damn things were practically invisible until we were in them." That explains why there are cobwebs in his beard, Meneas thought. I don't believe I have ever seen Isac this untidy. "None of my men were able to stop in time and so we all ended up trapped in the webs. I tried to reach my sword but all that entangled me further in the trap." Isac paused again, noticing the vein ticking near the king's temple, a sure indicator that King Meneas was very close to losing his temper. Maybe this wasn't the smartest idea... Isac thought as he watched the the king warily. "By all means, please continue," Meneas growled in a low threatening voice. "Yes m'lord, as I said we were all trapped, I yelled for Kylar to come and let us out of his trap," Isac sighed, "He came, but refused to release us from the spider webs and walked away." Isac decided to leave out the part where the walked into the shadows and disappeared in the shadows. Once he and his men had been freed they searched the hallway for anything that could have aided the boy in vanishing but there was nothing, not even the clear powder that came from a splash potion of invisibility. "How did you manage to escape the trap?" The king asked focusing solely on the captain. Isac shivered at the look in his king's eyes but he answered promptly, "We didn't, a maid that was polishing the lamps found us and ran to the guards yelling about a massive multi-legged monster in one of the old hallways. My men came running and the one in the lead got trapped with us. That was when they realized that it wasn't a new massive monster but a bunch of trapped men. It took an hour to free all my men and after they were freed I came straight here." Isac stopped speaking and waited for the king to come to a decision about what actions he would take. When he finally spoke the king's voice was like ice, "Since we obviously have a problem with spider webs, all the men who were caught in the web will scour the castle until there are no more spiderwebs."

"But sir, that is a job for the servants!" Isac exclaimed, "We have to guard the castle in case the city falls under attack." King Meneas smiled and Isac shuddered at the sight, nothing good ever happened when the king smiled like that, "Oh but that is why you and your men are doing this task, there might be giant spiders in the castle." "Yes sir," Isac said and turned to leave. He had just opened the door when Meneas said, "And Isac." The king paused and waited for the man to turn around. "When you find Kylar, send him up to my office." "Yes m'lord," Isac said and shut the door. He didn't start to breathe easier until he was halfway down the hall. You may have pushed your father too far this time Kylar, he thought, though my interference will have most likely have made whatever punishment you get worse and for that I'm sorry.

The sun had just risen above the trees when Kylar snuck into his bedchambers. He grimaced when the sound of the door shutting echoed loudly in the cavernous space. Kylar went over to the massive chest that stored his clothes and struggled to lift the lid. I do not see why mother insists that my clothing needs to be stored in this heavy thing, he thought as he reached inside to find his pajamas. It is not like I have all that much in there, just a couple pairs of light green shirts and dark green pants. His mother's words echoed in his mind. A proper prince wears only the colors of his kingdom. A proper prince only needs a few pairs of clothes. Why can't you be like a proper prince and do as I say? A proper prince is never filthy, so why is there dirt on your knees? Kylar frowned. Even in his mind, he could not escape his mother's constant lectures and complaints. Yawning, Kylar changed into the pajamas and made his way towards his bed. The black marble floor was as cold as ice and it slowly leached all of the warmth out of Kylar's feet until they were nearly as cold as the floor by the time he reached his bed. He had just gotten into bed and pulled up the covers when a sweetly feminine voice spoke into the darkness. "My, aren't we late getting to bed." Kylar shivered at the icy disdain that he could hear just below the thin veneer of sweetness. The voice continued to speak, "Don't you know that a proper prince always goes to bed early and rises with the sun." "Yes mother," he said hoping that she would just go away. The covers were ripped away from the bed and the sudden freezing draft made Kylar shiver even harder. "The sun is up so you must be too." Lady Jesame was suddenly right in front his face and Kylar jerked back to get farther from his mother. The queen looked down at him and, sneering, hauled Kylar up by the front of his pajama shirt. "Since you decided to skip etiquette lessons yesterday, I will spend the entire day teaching you how to behave properly," Jesame said, an ice cold fury erasing any hint of the false sweetness from before. "Get dressed," she said and tossed Kylar at the clothing chest. Kylar tried to roll out of the way but he still hit the corner chest with the side of his face. He hissed silently in pain as the impact opened a cut down his right cheek and caused the wound from earlier to start bleeding again. "Stand up Kylar, you are not going to get out of your lessons today," the queen said as she stalked over to the small boy who was lying in a heap on the floor. Kylar tried to rise but wasn't fast enough. He let out a small whimper as his mother's kick to his stomach flipped him onto his back. Lady Jesame let out a snort of disgust when she saw Kylar's bloody face. "Useless brat, all you ever do is make more work for me to do," she said, "now I shall have to fetch my lady's maid to clean your face." Turning away, his mother walked to his bedroom door. She was just about to leave when the door was thrown open, nearly hitting a very surprised Jesame. The queen recovered quickly. "Hello Isac," she said to the man standing in the doorway, "would you please fetch my lady's maid, Kylar seems to have taken a bit of a tumble and needs to be tended." "I am sorry m'lady, Sarah had to leave suddenly to take care of her deathly ill mother," Isac said as he looked around the queen to see the small form of the prince curled into a small ball on the floor. "In fact, she said that she wouldn't be able to return for at least two weeks," Isac continued. As he was saying this, he gestured behind his back to his second in command. The sound of running footsteps told Isac that Cor had gotten his silent message. "Then who will care for Kylar?" The worry in Lady Jesame's voice sounded real enough to Isac. Her eyes, on the other hand, were filled with annoyance rather than worry. If you want to know the truth, look for it in the eyes. His father's words echoing in his mind, Isac said, "Because of his misbehavior last night, Kylar will have to help my men and I clean all the spiderwebs in the castle and after that is done he is to report to me for the next three months for punishment." "What about his etiquette lessons?" The queen asked, anger leaking into her voice. "Unfortunately, there won't be any time for Kylar's lessons, he will be too busy working and training to do much else," Isac said. "That will not do," Jesame declared haughtily, "if Kylar has misbehaved, then that means he needs more lessons on manners not less." "I'm sorry m'lady, the king himself has commanded this." "Fine, if that is how it is then I suppose he will just have to make all of them up after he's done playing guard," Lady Jesame said as she stormed out of the room. Isac let out the breath he was holding and went over to check on the boy who was still lying on the floor. The captain knelt down by the prince, his dark green eyes meeting Kylar's pale blue ones. "Sarah's mother has been dead for three years," was all the boy said before he passed out.

When Kylar awoke he was no longer lying on the marble floor of his bedroom. Instead, his head rested on a pillow that, while not as comfortable as the ones on his bed, was still preferable to the floor. He attempted to sit up but a firm hand pushed him gently back until his head was once again lying on the pillow. "There will be none of that Kylar." The sound of Isac's voice caused Kylar to open his eyes and his head to glare at the man. "And why should I listen to you," he said, sitting up. The sudden burning pain that shot through his belly caused Kylar to fall back down with a groan. "Because that fall you took gave you a nasty bruise on your stomach in addition to those cuts on your face," Isac said giving Kylar a reproving glance as he resettled the blankets around the young prince's shoulders. Kylar sighed in defeat. His face was sore and his stomach felt like it was stabbed by a red-hot blade of pain. "Why did you lie to my mother?" Kylar asked the captain to distract himself from his aching body, "You could lose your rank if she found out." "I didn't exactly lie to her," Isac said, "I told her that Sarah's mother was deathly ill, being dead could be considered to be deathly ill." This managed to bring a small tired smile to Kylar's face. Closing his eyes he said, "I doubt that mother would care about the semantics, it is common knowledge that Sarah's mother has already died." Isac hesitated for a moment but then he reached out and lightly ruffled Kylar's blonde hair. "Since when has Lady Jesame ever been interested in anything that was common." This time, the boy let out a small pained laugh. "Get some rest Kylar, I did go to your father with my idea for your punishment after I got you settled and he agreed with my suggestion. However, you should know that he extended the time that you have to spend working to six months and you will have to sleep in the guard barracks." "That is fine," Kylar murmured sleepily, "I hate my bedroom anyway." Isac frowned at Kylar's words and opened his mouth to ask him about them but the boy had already fallen asleep. His injuries may be worse than I first thought if he is still tired after sleeping for the entire day. The captain moved to his chest at the end of the bed and retrieved a potion of healing. I'm sorry for this, he thought as he gently roused Kylar. The boy half opened sleepy eyes. "Drink this and then you can go back to sleep," he said as he tilted the bottle to the child's mouth. Kylar took a sip and grimaced at the horrible taste of the liquid. He raised his hand and tried to push the bottle away but all his weak attempt managed to do was spill a little of the potion on his face. "I know it tastes bad," Isac said, not unkindly, "but you have to drink a little more, it will make you feel better in the morning." Kylar sleepily glared at the disgusting red liquid but he drank the rest of it. " There, that wasn't so bad," Isac said as he set the now empty glass bottle on the small table near the head of the bed. With a snort of derision that told Isac exactly what he thought of the guard and his healing potion, Kylar turned over and went back to sleep. Isac sighed and bent down to blow out the lamp on the bedside table. After that task was done he climbed into the bed, careful not to jostle the sleeping boy, and slipped under the covers.

Just a little farther, Kylar thought as he looked up at the edge of the lower part of the tower roof. It is not even ten feet away, I can make it, all I have to do is climb a little more. His arms were trembling from the two hundred feet that he had already climbed. Kylar gripped the stone just above his head and pulled himself up. The wind whipped around him, tearing at his hair and clothes with icy claws. Kylar held the stone a little tighter, not wanting to be blown off the tower. He was just reaching up with his right foot when the stone beneath his other foot gave way and Kylar was left hanging by his hands. Kylar struggled to find another foothold but the wall, which had plenty of cracks in between the stones a few moments ago, was now as smooth as a pane of glass. Fighting to keep his grip, Kylar looked down and saw the faint glow of the torches seemingly thousands of feet below. Another strong gust of wind pulled at Kylar until he was hanging on by only his fingertips. The wind laughed in a cruel feminine voice, How long can you hold on little prince? The temperature dropped sharply and Kylar's fingers started to go numb. Gritting his teeth, Kylar tightened his hold on the tower and shouted, "I will hold on as long as I must!" Let's put that determination to the test, shall we. The voice said and claws ripped down Kylar's back. He screamed. The claws continued to dig into his flesh for what seemed like hours until his blood ran down his legs and dripped onto the castle roof far below his feet. Well, well, well, aren't we the stubborn one. Kylar looked up and saw the transparent form of a woman floating upside down above him. Where Irina had seemed to radiate a pale blue-white light, this woman appeared to be made of the darkest storm clouds. Hers was the cruel beauty of a deadly snake. She smiled and Kylar froze in terror. Instead of normal teeth, She had inch long fangs. Her smile has too many teeth, was a Kylar could think as his gaze fixated on her mouth. The woman reached down and dug her bloody claws into the backs of Kylar's hands. A good prince obeys the queen, she whispered in his ear as she ripped one of his hands away from the wall. And, as the queen, I command you to fall…. The rest of the woman's words were drowned out by a crash of thunder. A cloaked figure was briefly illuminated by the flash of lightning. One second he was standing on the top of the tower, in the next he had the woman was pinned to the wall by her throat. "Nightmares belong to me." He said in a low, thunderous, voice that seemed to come from everywhere. A white light lit up the woman's face as the man continued to speak, "And I do not take kindly to people stealing what is rightfully mine." The man reached back and a diamond sword formed in his hand. Swinging the blade forward, he sliced the woman in half. She screamed in fury and vanished. The cloaked man turned his glowing eyes towards where the young prince clung to the wall. Despite all his effort, Kylar's trembling fingers finally gave out and slipped from the stone. I do not want to die! he cried out in his mind as the tower wall rushed past him. Closing his eyes, Kylar waited for the deadly impact ….that never came. Instead, he felt strong arms wrap around him, transforming his fall into a gentle drift. Kylar opened his eyes to see Isac's face, glaring angrily upwards at the cloaked figure as the man continued to hover near the tower roof. As the captain floated down towards the castle roof, Kylar got a good look at his rescuer's face. It wasn't Isac after all. Although the two faces were nearly identical, Isac's had a few more scars. And his eyes, Kylar wondered a little bewilderedly as he sunk further into a deep, dreamless sleep. Why are his eyes blue?

 **Who are these mysterious characters that have appeared? What are your opinions of the members of the royal family and the captain of the royal guard? Who or what was that woman in Kylar's nightmare? Please leave a review and let me know.**

 **A** **HUGE** **thank you to everyone who has Favorited or Followed A Hero's Return!**


	4. Chapter 4 Newcomer

Chapter 4 : Newcomer

The scream of pain and terror had Isac reaching for his sword even before he was fully conscious. Eyes flying open, he sat up and scanned the room for any possible enemies. The room, however, was empty. A whimper from beside him drew Isac's gaze to the boy lying next to him. Kylar's face was bone-white and he had a death grip on the blankets. The boy shivered violently and let out another wail. Isac sighed and put away his sword. The scream had caused him to forget where and when he was. Rubbing his face with his hand, Isac closed his eyes and tried to push away the memories that were sending needles of pain through his mind. The sound of running feet in hall drew Isac out of the past. He looked up just in time to see the door to his room all but fly off its hinges to reveal his very nearly naked second in command. Eyes wild with panic, Cor raced into the room. One of his hands held a sword while the other had a white-knuckled grip on a blazing torch. "It's alright Corrin," Isac said to his childhood friend, "There isn't anything attacking, prince Kylar is just having a nightmare." Cor stood there for a moment and then, shutting his eyes, he took a deep breath. Isac waited as Cor fought back the memories of a night, a long time ago, that was filled with similar screams. When he opened his eyes again, Isac saw the echoes of that night reflected in his friend's gaze. Isac knew that his eyes held a similar sight. "Go back to bed Cor," he commanded, "There is nothing more that you can do here so you should, at least, try to get some more sleep." "Are you sure?" Cor asked looking his captain and friend in the eyes. "Yes I'm sure," Isac said, "We both have duties to attend to in the morning, one of us should be at least partially awake." Cor smiled, "Yes sir, captain sir" Isac snorted at his best friend's antics, "You know that I hate it when you do that, to you I am just Isac, no more and no less." "Why else do you think I do it?" Cor asked with a grin as he shut the door. Looking down at the sleeping boy, Isac saw that he was still in the throes of the nightmare. Lying back on the bed, Isac reached over and pulled Kylar into his arms and then he closed his eyes.

Herobrine was in a truly foul mood, Farain noticed as the man paced around the clearing. With a sigh, the enderman leaned against the tree he was standing under. My curiosity will surely be the death of me, he thought as Herobrine made his way to the other end of the clearing, the deep green cloak he was wearing flared out as he turned. When Herobrine had stormed out of the cave systems that they had been using as a gathering place, Farain followed to see where their leader was going. That was his mistake. The weather had rapidly worsened until it matched Herobrine's mood. Now Farain was forced to take shelter under a large oak tree to avoid the acidic maelstrom. "Sir?" Farain turned his head to see who was stupid enough to approach the demigod when he was in such a mood. The zombie that entered the clearing was apparently blind as well as stupid if he couldn't see the way Herobrine's eyes were glowing. They shone like twin flame, a clear indicator of his ire. "I was wondering why we don't…." The zombie never got to finish his sentence. Herobrine gestured towards him and suddenly the zombie was engulfed in a massive fireball. Farain blinked and came to the decision that it was in his best interest to head back to the caves, acid rain be damned.

Herobrine watched as the enderman quickly retreated back the way he had come. With a growl of frustration, He went back to pacing back and forth across the grass. Someone had trespassed in his realm and had tried to steal his prey. They died far too quickly for my liking, He thought furiously as the grass surrounding his feet started to smolder. Herobrine glared at the ground in annoyance. As much as he would like to take out his fury on the one who had dared to try and make a fool out of him, he couldn't. Nor could he let release the tight hold he had on his power and destroy the surrounding landscape or a nearby village. That would draw unwanted attention and it was not yet time to attack the city. Herobrine sighed and stalked through the forest towards the city walls. He hadn't gone more than thirty feet when his cloak got caught by a low hanging branch. Herobrine growled but stopped to untangle the garment from the tree. After that was done, he turned and threw a fireball at the offending foliage. The tree was quickly consumed by the hungry flames until all that remained was a blackened circle of earth. Pulling the hood back over his head, he continued to walk through the damp woods. By the time the massive stone walls came into view his anger had simmered down to embers. Herobrine came to a stop just before the edge of the forest. Looking around he searched for a medium sized branch. Finding one, he broke it off and quickly stripped it of its leaves and bark. Using a little fire, Herobrine heated the wood until the sap formed a hard resin around the branch. Setting the walking stick aside, he reached inside his cloak and pulled out an old scrap of spring green fabric which he tied over his eyes. Grabbing the walking stick, Herobrine left the trees and walked down the road to Emeral's northernmost gate.

"I can't believe captain Isac has us guarding the gates again, we had guard duty last night!" exclaimed Marc ranted to the man standing next to him. "I mean, all I said was that maybe we didn't need to put guards on the northern gates since the majority of the people come in through the southern gates." "But what did he say," Marc continued mimicking Isac's voice, "Even so, if you leave a single weakness exposed your enemies will pounce on it and destroy you." "So I ask him, what enemies? We are at peace with all of the neighboring kingdoms and all of the mobs have long since fled in fear of Emeral's shadow. You know what he told me, the peaceful times never last." Marc snorted. "I can't believe that the king appointed him as captain, he's barely twenty-three and his second in command isn't any older than he is!" Kyle spoke up, interrupting Marc in the midst of his tirade. "Watch your words, you are close to speaking treason against the crown." Marc remained silent for a couple of moments and Kyle used the break to continue to talk, " In fact, we wouldn't be guarding the gate again if you hadn't opened your big mouth and told the captain to loosen up a little and cut down on the men guarding the wall. Your exact words were, open your Notch damn eyes and look around, no one ever comes to the north gates so why post guards where they're not needed." Kyle glared at his companion in irritation. "What were you expecting your insubordination to accomplish other than more work?" The sound of approaching footsteps caused both men to look up at the man walking towards them. " Apparently I was wrong," Marc said, "the only people who enter the city through the north gates are to blind to find their way to the southern gates."

Interesting, Herobrine thought as he neared the two men. With his superior hearing, he had been able to listen to the entire conversation. This captain Isac will be entertaining to toy with. "Greetings stranger, what brings you to Emeral in the dead of night?" asked one of the guards. "Obviously not sightseeing," muttered the other guard under his breath. This statement was quickly followed by the sharp sound of a slap and the first guard hissed quietly to the second, "Be considerate Marc, the boy is barely older than the captain." Herobrine nearly laughed aloud, he was easily older than everyone in the city by a good thousand years. However he managed to contain his mirth at the stupidity of the majority of mortals and said, "I did not realize that it was night already, I am a maker of fine walking sticks and I came to Emeral to ply my trade and to spend some time in this kingdom's capital." Herobrine held out the stick in his hand for the men to examine. The first guard let out a low whistle as he ran his hand along the smooth surface of the wood. "I have never felt wood so soft or smooth," he said, then to the other guard, "Hey Marc, come over here and look at this." Marc walked over to the outheld stick and ran one hand over the wood. "May I hold it?" he asked and, when Herobrine nodded in acquiescence, he picked up the walking stick and began to perform a basic staff drill. Letting out an approving grunt as the walking stick cut through the air he said, " I wish that the staves we used were as well made as this walking stick." "That's a wonderful idea," the first guard said, then turning back towards Herobrine he asked, "First off, what is your name?" "I am called Hero," Herobrine replied. "Okay Hero, you said that you were looking sell some of your wares and see the city, right?" "In a manner of speaking," he said and waited for the guard to continue to speak. "Well, I think that if our captain saw the work that you do he might give you a commission to craft some new staves for the guard. What do you say?" Herobrine smiled and said, "I would not be opposed to the idea." Especially since I will get a better understanding of the layout of the castle and the surrounding city, he thought as the guard said, " Good, then come to the guard barracks in the morning and tell whoever is on duty that Kyle said that you should talk to captain Isac about making some new weapons." "I will be sure to do that," Herobrine said as he retrieved his walking stick and walked past the two men into the city.

Why is my pillow snoring? Kylar wondered sleepily and reached over and punched the pillow to make it be quiet. There was a grunt of surprise and then his pillow was suddenly not there anymore. Kylar opened his eyes to see Isac, sitting up on the bed rubbing his side where he had been hit. Kylar bolted upright, "What the Nether are you doing in my bed!" he shouted. Isac sighed and said, "For your information this is my bed. As to why I am in it right now, there are no other available beds because a certain prince decided to use them to make a fort in the courtyard and left them out in a thunderstorm." "How was I to know that they would be struck by lightning?" Kylar grumbled as he flopped back down onto the mattress. He was just about to go back to sleep when something poked him repeatedly in the side. Kylar rolled over and glared at Isac, "What now?" "It's passed time to get up," Isac said as he walked over to a chest by the wall and started to get dressed. "I do not want to get up," Kylar as he looked out the window, "The sun is barely above the trees." "That just means we've overslept," the captain said as he lifted the boy out of the bed and set him on his feet near a smaller version of his own chest. "Hurry and get dressed, your punishment for the spider web trap is about to begin and I would like to eat breakfast first." Kylar let out a sigh of resignation as Isac left the room. He opened the chest and stared in amazement at what he found. Inside lay, a dark blue guard's jacket, below that was the rest of the uniform that the men of the royal guard wore. He reached in and touched the clothes to make sure they were real.

Isac was just about to head back and see what was taking Kylar so long when he heard his bedroom door open. He waited but when he didn't hear any footsteps following him he turned around to look for Kylar. You are an idiot Isac, he thought, the boy has most likely run off to the farthest... Isac's thoughts trailed off when he saw that Kylar hadn't taken off like there was a pack of nether hounds after him. Instead, the boy was standing in the hallway attempting to get the gold buttons of the guard jacket into their appropriate holes. The sight of Kylar in those clothes hit Isac like a punch in the stomach. Memories of another boy struggling to fasten that jacket threatened to swallow him. A tug on his hand brought him back to the present. "I…." Kylar paused and then he asked, "would you help me with my jacket?" It had obviously cost the prince no small amount of pride to admit that he couldn't do something as simple as button his jacket. I don't suppose he's ever had the chance to learn, Isac thought as he knelt down to help fasten the jacket, all he has ever had to wear are the same type of shirt, in fact, I can't even remember him ever wearing anything different. He was just standing back up when a cheerful voice spoke behind him. "I see you've finally decided to get your lazy butt out of bed, sir." Isac groaned and said with annoyance, "Are you ever going to not call me sir, Corrin?" Cor winced, "Fine, I'll stop but only if you stop calling me Corrin." Looking around his captain, Cor saw the young prince straightening his jacket. "Is that your old jacket?" he asked one eyebrow raised. Isac simply nodded, acknowledging the other silent question. "He is going to be living with us for the next six months so I figured that he should have a uniform at the very least," Isac said as he looked back to see Kylar watching him with an unnameable expression. "The queen will not be happy when she hears of this," Cor predicted a dark look crossing his face, "I can't believe that one has found what she has been doing!" Isac sighed as Cor spoke the words that had been running through his own mind. How could I have been so blind that I was unable to see what was happening under my very nose? Kylar spoke up for the first time since the conversation began. "She was always careful not to hurt me so much that I would not be able to walk." Both of the men turned to stare at Kylar, their disbelief clear. "I had to carry you out of your bedroom because you had passed out," Isac said, "then you slept through an entire day and night, I wouldn't call that being able to walk." "I am walking right now am I not?" Kylar asked, slightly annoyed that the two guards couldn't see what was as plain as day. "You may be walking but that is only because I gave you a potion of healing last night," Isac said with forced patience. "Well, why the Nether did you waste it on me?" asked Kylar angrily, "I would have been fine today even if you had not used the potion!" "You just keep telling yourself that, boy," Isac shot back. "Now, now, let's not do anything stupid," Cor said as he stepped between the prince and the captain. If glares were bows I would most likely resemble a pincushion right about now, he thought wryly. Before either of the angry pair could respond, a guard called down the hall "Hey captain Isac, there is a visitor here to see you." Isac sighed and said, "I apologize for losing my temper Kylar." Then he turned and walked down the hall to his office, it looked like he wouldn't get breakfast after all. Kylar watched as the captain walked away. Why did he bother apologizing? "You could have been a little politer," Cor admonished gently, "Being a prince is no excuse for not treating others with respect."

Herobrine waited for the captain of the guards to be notified of his guest. He was tempted to remove the fabric that covered his eyes and get a good look at his surroundings but decided against it. After all, it would look suspicious if I knew where everything was while I am supposedly blind, he thought as he began to pace the floor. I wonder what kind of man King Meneas would trust to guard him and his family after the last captain failed to do his duty? From what he could tell of the room, it was empty save for a few chairs, a desk and a rack that only held a single sword. Herobrine picked up the weapon and ran a hand lightly over the blade. "What do you think of the sword?" a voice asked. Herobrine had heard the man enter the room a few moments ago. He turned around reached a hand out until his fingers met the fabric of the guard's jacket. This was mostly just for show as Herobrine could pinpoint the man's location from the sound of his heartbeat. "Is it alright if I give it a couple of swings?" he asked the captain. The man was silent for a moment but then he replied with a simple "Yes." Herobrine backed up a few feet smiling slightly as he heard the guard quietly move backwards and to the right of his last position. It seems like he is not a completely trusting idiot, that will make the confrontation all the more enjoyable. Raising the sword, Herobrine began a complicated blade-dance. Isac watched as the sword began to move through the air. At first, it was just a few slow moving slashes but as the stranger continued, the speed and the number of strokes that the sword made began to increase until the blade was little more than a metallic blur. Herobrine ended the exercise with a lightning quick slash towards the captain. The sword stopped two inches from its target, the sound of two blades clashing rang through the air. This just keeps getting better and better, Herobrine thought as he felt the tip of a dagger digging into the flesh over his heart, I have finally found the first truly worthy opponent after the last one died three thousand years ago. "Was there a point to that demonstration?" The captain's voice was as hard as diamonds. "I wanted to see what kind of man is made captain before they are even old enough to be a soldier. The only sign of surprise that the man betrayed was a slight flutter of his pulse. Impressive, Herobrine thought as he waited for the captain to respond. Isac eyed the stranger warily, there was more to this man than one would suspect at first glance. He sighed but answered the unspoken question. "The world sometimes forces boys to become warriors before society thinks they are ready." "How old were you when you entered the guard?" Herobrine wondered aloud, intrigued despite himself. "Truthfully, Cor and I were twelve when we signed up but we claimed to be sixteen," Isac said, wondering why he was answering the man's questions. It is most likely because he is the only person to figure out that I wasn't as old as I said I was. Herobrine snorted back a laugh, "Whoever was in charge of the recruits must have been even more blind than I am." "It wasn't that big of a stretch, we looked like we were two years older and we said that we were late bloomers though the scribe who was responsible for recording all the new recruits wore a pair of huge glasses so that might have helped." The two men fell quiet for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Herobrine finally broke the silence and asked, "So…. are we going to stand like this all day or what?" Isac laughed and removed the dagger from where it rested on the man's chest. Sheathing both of his blades he asked, "What is your name?" Herobrine responded with the name he had given the guards at the gate last night, "My name is Hero." "Well Hero, my question from earlier still stands, what is your opinion of the sword?" Herobrine closed his eyes and swung the sword lightly so that it whispered through the air in a couple of small circles. "It is old and has seen many battles but it still retains a deadly edge. Whoever forged this blade was a master of the craft, the blade is still in one piece where any less blade would have shattered," he said fingering the inch long notch that ran diagonally into the blade. He continued to speak, "This sword has not been wielded since the last owner died fighting an opponent much larger and stronger than they were." Isac remained silent for many long minutes. When he eventually spoke all he said was, " You see much for a blind man, Hero." Shaking away the memories of the blade lying in a pool of blood, Isac asked, "Why did you come to find me?" "I originally came to the city to sell walking sticks but the guards at the gate suggested that I come and talk to you about making new staves for you and your men," Herobrine said as he placed the sword back on the rack and handed the walking stick to the captain. Isac held the wood up to the light streaming through the window, a faint wave pattern in the lacquer-like coating caught his attention. Could it be, he thought excitedly and, placing one end of the walking stick on the windowsill, swung his dagger as hard as he could at the wood. The blade bounced off without leaving a single mark on the wood. It is, Isac thought not quite believing what he held in his hands. One of the fabled traveler's treasures, a walking stick that would never break no matter what was done to it, not even lava could damage it. "You made this?" he asked and when Hero nodded, he continued, "Are staves the only thing you can make or do you craft other things as well?" Herobrine knew he should say that could only make staves but his pride got the better of him. "Actually, I am a weaponsmith by trade but I also can craft armor and shield." He mentally kicked himself for revealing too much. Isac's eyes widened at this revelation, he had expected Hero to only be able to make the staves. This has to be the luckiest day of my life, he thought and said, "I will gladly hire you to make new weapons and armor for the guard. Is there anything that you need?" Herobrine sighed at the problems that his pride had gotten him into, "A place to sleep, a place to work, and someone to show me around the city and to help with the more basic parts of crafting the equipment." Isac smiled, his day had just gone from good to near Notch damn perfect. "I think I know a place that would work, it needs a little fixing up but it should suit your needs." Herobrine waited head cocked in curiosity. "There is an old blacksmith's cabin about half a mile in the forest that surrounds the castle. It's not much, just a single room with a fireplace, a covered area that was used for the smithy behind the building, and a small attic. However it's more private than the smithy in the city, I figure you wouldn't want people gawking at you as you worked." Herobrine let out a wry laugh "That would be….inconvenient." "As for your assistant, I have the perfect person in mind," Isac said with a small smile.

 **Going on a temporary hiatus (Be back soon)**


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